The Reds Development XV have wrapped up the Challenger Series across both men’s and women’s grades at Ballymore Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
In the men’s ranks, the Reds produced a hard-fought 50-30 win over the Development XV.
Having already claimed the win in the series opener last weekend, the Reds Development XV made it two from two, in part thanks to the brilliance of flanker Connor Anderson, who proved a handful with several line breaks as well as scoring the game’s opening try.
It took less than two minutes for Anderson to hit paydirt, running a sublime line onto a Louis Werchon pass to hand the Development XV the lead – one that would never be reeled in by the Challenger XV.
The speed of Mac Grealy in the 11th minute extended the Reds Development XV’s lead – the UQ winger evading two Challenger XV defenders to extend his arm and score.
Tautalatasi Tasi scored their first points for the Development XV shortly after before Souths prop George Francis also touched down to cut the lead to just two points midway through the first half.
With Challenger XV scrumhalf Cullin Cooper-Jones spending ten minutes on the sidelines, the Reds Development XV made the most of their numerical dominance with Jeffery Toomaga-Allen scoring within minutes of replacing Sef Fa’agase in the front row.
A nine-point lead at half time was quickly extended after the break through John Bryant and GPS speedster Shaun Anderson who both added their name to the try scorer’s list.
In another predictably high-scoring affair, the two sides traded tries for much of the second half as the Reds Development XV ran away 20-point victors.
In the women’s ranks, the Reds Development XV manufactured an emphatic win over the Development XV at Ballymore, running away 56-7.
After Eva Karpani did the same in last weekend’s iteration, Tiarna Molloy scored a first half hattrick to hand her side a handy lead.
Her first came in the fourth minute – a short effort that began within five metres of the goal line where she rode three tackles before touching down.
She followed with another in the 23rd, this time with a pick and drive to hand the Reds a 12-0 lead after Ana Afuie converted truly.
A second pick and drive rounded off the hattrick in the 31st but the scoring was far from over for the Reds Development XV. Further tries to Joanna Rabaka and Georgia Wilson either side of Molloy’s third meant the deficit at the half had increased up once again.
The story was much the same after the break with the Reds Development XV simply proving too good. The tries kept folowing as the Reds continued to break through the Challenger XV defence.
The Development XV found their way onto the scoreboard with the final play of the match through Anelise Lole before Leka Tuaana nailed home the conversion.
